Evolved modern/retro looks. Explosive power and refined mileage from meaty 6.2 V8, which shuts half of itself down when you don’t need it. Direct-feel 6-speed manual as good as it ever was, with bolt-action feel and with cool new rev-matching feature that blips the throttle for you as downshift. Driver-adjustable modes turn the car from street driver to track toy. Nasty-sounding exhaust will have you ripping the throttle all the time.

Dislikes

Impossible to see out of, especially to the rear. Backup camera helps somewhat, but it’s mounted really low, and it can’t see everything. Merging is best done with the windows down to hear what’s in your blind spot. Rear seat room is theoretical at best. Skip-shift is still there, directing you from first into fourth under light acceleration — but you can learn to drive around it by staying on the throttle longer.

Verdict

Everyone noticed this all-new sixth-gen Camaro, which I wasn’t expecting given that it’s not that much different looking than the fifth-gen units GM’s been building since 2010. But while the upgrades might seem minor, the car is much better than the outgoing model — it’s lighter, handles better, and has a bunch more power. The result is a true dual-purpose muscle car driver that the end user can use for tooling around town or cruising to work, and then turn it up for track fun on the weekends. Or, like I did, just turn it up for fun all the time.